The present invention relates to an improvement in an apparatus and method for jointing CV cables, wherein extrusion molding and subsequent operations, from crosslinking to cooling, can be continuously performed by a single mold without replacing it.
Extrusion molding has recently been employed to connect very high voltage CV cables. There are two conventional extrusion molding systems: in one, a single mold is used to perform both extrusion molding and subsequent operations from crosslinking to cooling under pressure; and in the other, separate molds are used to perform extrusion molding and subsequent operations. Since the former system allows the extrusion, heating and crosslinking of an insulating resin, it offers shorter operation time than the latter system. Moreover, since the first system uses only one mold, the extrusion molding can be achieved automatically. However, the mold used in the first system cannot as much expand as the molded insulator does during crosslinking, and invitably deforms the insulating portion of the molded body of the cable. In addition, it is difficult to control pressures during the crosslinking and subsequent cooling processes (Japanese patent disclosure Nos. 58-126688 and 58-223279).